Start-ups are bringing AI agents into everyday office work
Start-ups are increasingly using AI agents as colleagues, assigning them work in areas such as administration, coding, sales and marketing. Supporters say agents can take on routine tasks and help small teams do more, but their spread is also causing friction with people who want human contact and raising concerns about jobs and mistakes.
At AI start-up Anything, 15 employees work alongside about 150 agents, and its founder expects agents to outnumber human staff at many companies. McKinsey found that around 40% of large organisations used agents in some capacity between May 2025 and June 2026, up from 27% the previous year; Boston Consulting Group reported that companies expect to reduce workforces by 10% to 15% over the next few years as they delegate more work to AI. However, MIT research cited in the article found no major productivity gains from AI so far, while Lindy says it has replaced some roles with agents after cutting about a third of its staff.
In short
- Start-ups are assigning AI agents a growing range of office tasks.
- Anything has about 150 agents and 15 human employees.
- Companies expect AI adoption to affect staffing, though major productivity gains have yet to emerge.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
AI agents can handle routine administrative, coding, sales and marketing tasks, allowing small teams to take on more work and potentially freeing people for tasks that need judgement or creativity. Advocates may see them as a way to improve efficiency and broaden access to capabilities that would otherwise require more staff, while arguing that careful oversight can limit errors.
The case against
Replacing human work with agents risks job losses and may leave remaining staff and customers with less human contact. Agents can also make mistakes, and the cited research has yet to show major productivity gains, raising the possibility that companies could incur disruption and costs without reliably delivering the promised benefits.
AI Art Business Celebrity Companies Culture Entertainment Technology
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “What is it like to work when your co-workers are AI agents?”.